cora back

[jsinger121]

Players like Cora are a dime a dozen. The Sox should be going after Soriano and they have Pedroia to be the infield utility guy. Instead they will be handing Pedroia the starting job' date=' and he couldn't hit .200 in 90 ABs. That's two light hitting infielders. Youk is average. Gonzo is below average, and Lowell is not a major force. I am hoping for more of an infield shakeup than Lugo.[/quote']

 

Soriano is a DH. He is an awful secondbaseman defensively.

[jacksonianmarch]

An we are all talking like Lugo is a foregone conclusion. There are suitors in NY and Toronto who may outbid the conservative Theo. Imagine, Gonzo leaves for a long term contract, something he wont get from the sox, and the sox lose out on Lugo and Soriano. That leaves a MI of Cora and Pedroia. Yuk. Also, imagine if Lowell and Youk are the corners on that lineup, double yuk.

[riverside sluggers]

I completely disagree. This is going to eat a roster spot for 2 years' date=' for a backup. And for a guy who couldnt hit his weight, and couldnt OPS double his weight after the AS break (which is when he got the majority of his PT). Infield utility guy is a spot that could easily be filled by a player who has good hands and also has good speed. A guy like Machado (who just signed in Washington) is a good instance of a player whose future was blocked by a guy who couldnt break the Mendoza line. If the sox had a supersub a la Joe McEwing who could hit you .250 have a few HRs and play all IF positions plus the OF, then he is worth it. But a guy like Cora, who to be honest with you is a poor SS and a stellar 2b defensively, is only blocking the way for a young kid to work his way on, who may actually be the basestealing threat that the sox have been missing off the bench since Dave Roberts left.[/quote']

 

The backup infielder spot has been taken up for the next 2 years, woe is Red Sox Nation. I just dont see how some people are getting all heated up that a utility infielder was resigned, how high does this role rank as importance to 2007??

 

A guy like Machado (who just signed in Washington) is a good instance of a player whose future was blocked by a guy who couldnt break the Mendoza line.

Mendoza line as in .200 avg, right? Cora, well his season avg was .238 and was hitting .300 up until the All-Star Break

[seabeachfred]

An we are all talking like Lugo is a foregone conclusion. There are suitors in NY and Toronto who may outbid the conservative Theo. Imagine' date=' Gonzo leaves for a long term contract, something he wont get from the sox, and the sox lose out on Lugo and Soriano. That leaves a MI of Cora and Pedroia. Yuk. Also, imagine if Lowell and Youk are the corners on that lineup, double yuk.[/quote']

 

It is a chance we have to take. There is no way we can improve our offense carrying a total offensive bust in Gonzales. Besides, if we lose Lugo, we could sign Craig Counsell who does nothing but win and play three times above his natural ability. Gonzales must go. Then, again, though I am in the distinct minority, we can always resign Loretta and put Pedroia at shortstop. I think Epstein this to be true and will go all out to make a bid for Lugo, who would give us speed at the top of the order, some who can pilfer a base, lay down a bunt and hit int he clutch. He is a helluva lot better fielder than Gonzales is as a hitter and brings more to the table for us.

[seabeachfred]

Cora provides great depth. Anyone who claims this as bad signing didn't watch the sox last season. A smart' date=' sure handed vet off the bench is huge. I'm psyched.[/quote']

 

I watched the sox last season and especially when Cora had to start a bunch of games due to injuries. He stunk; his average went from close to 300 down to the 230's is less than two weeks. Only if he is used as utility man can be of any help to the Red Sox. If he becomes a starter we are sunk.

[a700hitter]

He stinks. Machado could have filled the spot as well as Cora, plus he has more speed and versatility. And they didn't have to pay him $1+ million a year. It was a waste of money. This isn't a depth move. Depth means strengthening a position. You can find Cora's all over the minor leagues. They would have been better off if they had added the $2.5 million to the Matsazuka bid.

[seabeachfred]

A Joe McCuen would have been so much better for us. At least the guy can hit with a little sting in his bat. He also plays all the infield positions and all the outfield positions. Cora for two years is a waste of a lot of money even though in total dollars it doesn't seem that much. Whatever we are paying could have gone towards some of those free agents. If Cora stays as a utility man only he could have some value for us, but under no circumstances should the FO allow Francona to give him a starting spot. He absolutely stunk in that position when he had to play extended innings.

[riverside sluggers]

Only in Boston can fans bitch about who is the utility player on their team

[a700hitter]

Only in Boston can fans bitch about who is the utility player on their team

An overpaid utility player. If we miss the Matsuzaka bid by $1+ million, it will be because we gave it to Cora when we could have had Machado at the minimum wage.

[vet 68]

I think that this was just a make sure type thing. He is cheap and he can play more that one place in the infield.He goes about his job very quitely. He had a little let down in 2006 but look at what he has done for us in the past. I think that he can still do the job that the team is after him for.

[riverside sluggers]

An overpaid utility player. If we miss the Matsuzaka bid by $1+ million' date=' it will be because we gave it to Cora when we could have had Machado at the minimum wage.[/quote']

 

I dont think Cora's salary will make the Sox FO panicking of what they should bid on Matsuzaka. Thats going a little overboard.

 

Furthermore I believe the Sox will look more at what they have to spend later on important players like bullpen help, shortstop (at least $7 million per yr if its Lugo)

[seabeachfred]

Only in Boston can fans bitch about who is the utility player on their team

 

Riverside----what about California. That's where I live and I can bitch about a player who the Dodgers and Guardians discarded, and who couldn't hit his hat when he was forced to start a series of games last summer when injuries struck. We can do better, or rather we could have. BTW, are you speaking as a Red Sox or Yankee fan?

[riverside sluggers]

BTW' date=' are you speaking as a Red Sox or Yankee fan?[/quote']

 

Please dont even say, that you are actually asking if I am a Red Sox fan or a Yankee fan

[elsrbueno]

a700 is right.

 

The guy's a decent player, but he really stinks offensively and defensively is nothing special. Terry Francona raves about his intelligence on the field but he really doesn't have the talent.

 

Terry's in love with him-- this is why this move was made.

 

Also, Riverside is right-- this isn't that big a deal. They obviously either want Pedroia playing everyday at the MLB level or in AAA. They don't want him being the utility guy and I agree with that. This guy is a second baseman and it would hurt his development to sit on the bench.

 

Mark DeRosa might have been a more offensive-oriented option, but I haven't seen the guy play defense so I can't compare him to Cora.

 

The bottom line is what everyone already said-- if Cora gets a lot of at bats this team is in trouble. If he's a utility guy he's good enough-- albeit overpaid.

[seabeachfred]

a700 is right.

 

The guy's a decent player, but he really stinks offensively and defensively is nothing special. Terry Francona raves about his intelligence on the field but he really doesn't have the talent.

 

Terry's in love with him-- this is why this move was made.

 

Also, Riverside is right-- this isn't that big a deal. They obviously either want Pedroia playing everyday at the MLB level or in AAA. They don't want him being the utility guy and I agree with that. This guy is a second baseman and it would hurt his development to sit on the bench.

 

Mark DeRosa might have been a more offensive-oriented option, but I haven't seen the guy play defense so I can't compare him to Cora.

 

The bottom line is what everyone already said-- if Cora gets a lot of at bats this team is in trouble. If he's a utility guy he's good enough-- albeit overpaid.

 

Well for all our sake let's hope he is kept as a utility man and Francona doesn't have one of his brainless ideas.

[Cocos Disciples]

Cora is a good bench player. Great fielder, good instincts, etc. He's wicked smaht.

[jacksonianmarch]

The backup infielder spot has been taken up for the next 2 years, woe is Red Sox Nation. I just dont see how some people are getting all heated up that a utility infielder was resigned, how high does this role rank as importance to 2007??

 

 

Mendoza line as in .200 avg, right? Cora, well his season avg was .238 and was hitting .300 up until the All-Star Break

 

read the post man. Cora got a lot of playing time at the end of the season and he was awful.

[jsinger121]

read the post man. Cora got a lot of playing time at the end of the season and he was awful.

 

And he got that playing time due to players being injured.

[seabeachfred]

And he got that playing time due to players being injured.

And as Jackson said, he sucked when he got that chance. Cora is a mediocre ballplayer and I will tell you this flat out Jsing. If that guy ever gets into the starting lineup for any prolonged period of time we will be sunk because he stinks.

[BSN07]

Great bench player. Not an everyday starter.